Monday, July 29, 2013

No-Crab (Vegan) Rangoons

Crab rangoons were one of my favorite Chinese restaurant treats prior to going vegetarian. I have no idea if rangoons are in any way authentically Chinese, however. I wanted to create a vegan version of this favorite for the Chinese New Year themed potluck I held a few months ago. Vegan wonton wrappers can be difficult to find. I found mine at a local Asian food store. Most wonton wrappers contain a small amount of egg. Both the typical and egg-free varieties freeze well so vegans, stock up when you find the egg-free variety.

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-large bowl combine all ingredients (except the wonton wrappers and oil spray of course).

2. Spoon 1t of filling into each of the wonton wrappers like so:

I use 2 spoons. 1 to scoop the filling and another to scoot the filling into the wonton wrapper.

3. Fold the wonton wrappers like this:

Bring 2 flat sides of the wrapper together and pinch.

Bring the remaining 2 flat sides together and pinch.

Poof! You have a fancy looking rangoon there.

4. Place the folded wontons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray lightly with olive oil. Spraying (or brushing) with olive oil helps the rangoons stay crispy rather than becoming tough and dry while baking

Note the lack of parchment paper in the photo below. Don't make the same mistake. Parchment paper is your friend and will keep the rangoons from sticking to the baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the edges of the rangoons are golden brown.